Ajmal counts Pakistan out of World Cup semi-final race

Updated: Tuesday, January 20, 2015, 10:16 [IST]

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Karachi, Jan 19: Pakistan's suspended off-spinner Saeed Ajmal does not believe that the national cricket team will be able to make the semi-finals of the upcoming World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. Speaking on Geo Super channel, the seasoned campaigner tipped Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and India to be in the semi-finals.

"Pakistan's bowling is not strong for this tournament and if Muhammad Hafeez is also not cleared to bowl than our bowling is going to be tested a lot," he said.

File photo of Saeed Ajmal

Ajmal, who will fly to Chennai this week for the official ICC bowling assessment test to get his modified bowling action cleared, said that without him and Hafeez Pakistan has lost experienced bowlers in a mega event.

He said the Pakistan batsmen will have to perform extraordinarily well in all matches to give the team a strong chance of winning their matches.

"But I still don't think Pakistan can be counted among the favorites to make the semi-finals. I see Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and India in the top four because they are the teams in form at the moment."

Ajmal suspended from international cricket since last September said that the sort of form AB de Villiers, Virat Kohli and Brendon McCullum had shown in the run up to the World Cup indicated they were going to score in the mega event.

"I regard de Villiers as a class act. The fastest fifty and century he scored against West Indies just shows the sort of talent he possesses. He is one batsman who plays his shots with complete assurance and power and after taking into count the strength of the opposition's bowling," Ajmal stated.

The off-spinner said he had no doubt that senior batsman, Misbah-ul-Haq and Younis Khan will have to play their best cricket in the World Cup if Pakistan is do well in the event.

"They will have to provide the way for the other players with some big scores," he added. The off-spinner said he was disappointed at missing out on the World Cup as he loved bowling on Australian pitches where spinners generally got more bounce than in other places.